1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to drumsticks and mallets, and especially to those having heads of different sizes and shapes for producing different musical responses from various types of drums and/or other types of percussion instruments.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A common problem with drumsticks and mallets of conventional types is that they generally are of a rather conventional style with regard to head size and shape, and offer limited utility and little variety to percussionists.
There have been various types of drumsticks and mallets produced; however, the ones known to the present inventor leave much to be desired, especially in the areas of tone production and rebound.
Drumsticks and mallets have been the subjects of several patents, often relating to features specific to the handle or shaft portions thereof. It is common for conventional drumsticks and mallets to be provided in a variety of models varying in size, weight, hardness, and so forth. However, the instrument-contacting portions have received little attention towards improvement by way of invention, especially in the areas of tone production and rebound.
To wit, terms such as "ball", "bead", and "tip" refer to the roughly globular structure of the instrument-contacting portions of drumsticks and mallets of conventional design. The present invention discloses a number of embodiments of specially shaped instrument-contacting portions (herein referred to as "heads"), of which an important feature is that in use the heads produce a crescent-shaped imprint upon the playing surface, thereby enhancing desirable tone production and rebound.
Also, it is highly desirable that a percussionist, for reasons of economy and portability (or, having become familiar or accustomed to a particular pair or set of drumstick or mallet handles), be provided with structure that enables him or her to change or modify the head portion (s) of each stick or mallet as desired, easily and rapidly.